Category: Articles

What Does it Mean

to

#FindYourHealthHack?

Tips that make your body work better, based on research and experience with clients, I call #HealthHacks.

HEALTH ISSUES THAT MAY RESPOND TO HEALTH HACKS:

Have you experienced irritating health issues that seem tolerable – some days? Or issues that you’d rather not bother your doctor about… or what if you’ve already asked your doctor but his or her solutions didn’t qualify for you?

FIVE REASONS WE NEED HEALTH HACKS:

1.) Each one of us is an individual with different wants, needs, desires and potential. You live in your body and are most qualified to determine the area(s) you may be lacking. (Thus you are the one best qualified to #FindYourHealthHack!)

2.) Just like a car needs oil – and won’t run well or for long without it – there are nutrients your body needs that can make a huge difference in the way you feel! (To continue with the car analogy, there are also anti-nutrients – like sugar – that can gunk up a car’s engine – or your body’s engine!!)

3.) We are all too busy to waste time feeling guilty about what we did or didn’t do yesterday. Sometimes timely information can keep us on track to do what we already know is best.

4.) Most people don’t have time to study at Nutritional College (like the accredited Huntington College of Health Sciences); most don’t have the advantage of clients returning with testimonials of what worked for them – like I am grateful to have!

5.) Most don’t have the money to hire a Private Health Coach to guide them on their journey. (If you would rather have a Private Health Coach, email me and I can – hopefully – arrange time to work with you.)

So, #HealthHacks are my way of sharing tips and tricks that have worked in the lives of many, in a way that everyone has access to. Every two weeks I plan to add to the database of #HealthHacks – as I share these tips and tricks with you by email.

If you want to search the site for a #HealthHack, all you need is to know a little about what you would like to see better, type the word or words into the search bar on the side of my site, http://www.SoCalGardenHealth.com and #FindYourHealthHack in Bold!

HEALTH ISSUES THAT MAY RESPOND TO PROBIOTICS:

“My stomach hurts when I eat and I don’t know why!”

“I had antibiotics and now I’m constipated.”

“I had antibiotics and now I have diarrhea.”

REASONS WE NEED PROBIOTICS:

1.) Because antibiotics. 🙂 Antibiotics destroy the beneficial bacteria or healthy flora that normally inhabits our digestive tract and can allow “bad” bacteria to grow. Hospitals may now consider probiotics as a cost-effective treatment when C-Dif grows too much after antibiotics1.

2.) This good bacteria makes B vitamins2 and in combination with vitamin k has potential to have an antiproliferative effect on colon adenocarcinoma3.

3.) Beneficial bacteria regulates whether we have constipation or diarrhea – even diarrhea caused by C-Dif4 and have even been found “promising” to help with inflammatory bowel disease. The following abstract recommends specific strains that were found effective to some degree in medical literature.5

4.) Healthy gut flora keeps us slim. A double-blind study found that a particular strain of lactobacillus rhamnosus was shown to lower the weight of obese men and women6.

Beneficial bacteria is all around us. We even have bad bacteria that lives in our intestinal tract that doesn’t cause a problem for us until it grows over a certain percentage. This time of the year, sugar in seasonal goodies may cause a candida overgrowth and UTIs 7. A bonus reason to consider probiotics! For my favorite #probiotic reset, see our resources page.

Six Well-Researched Ways to Prevent Cancer

by Implementing Health Hacks

#HealthHacks are in Bold!

I believe that God created us in a way that is absolutely amazing! When you get a cut on your finger, processes are put into motion that bring healing to the injury. I have seen our body’s inherent healing ability shown in so many ways!

We are physical, spiritual and emotional beings. The body likes to stay in balance. Correcting any imbalances can reverse most issues. Anything that pulls the body out of that state of homeostasis is a potential danger zone. This paper will deal with five of the causes of cancer as well as addressing at least five ways to prevent those causes. Many of the ways to prevent cancer will overlap. Getting the metabolism to a state of health so that the body can do the job I believe it was created to do, is the foundation. These ways of prevention or healing are what I call #HealthHacks and are best applied consistently as a lifestyle – and are only some of what you can do to protect you and your loved ones!

*SUGAR / *METABOLIC SYNDROME

For years since Dr. Warburg’s research on the metabolic theory of cancer, sugar has been suspect for its contribution to the growth of cancer. “One of the most familiar metabolic alterations encountered in several types of cancers is the upregulation of glycolysis, which is also maintained in conditions of normal oxygen tension (aerobic glycolysis, Warburg effect) while oxidative phosphorylation is apparently reduced.1” The obvious solution to a cancer that is fed by sugar is to eliminate sugar. The question this raises is – what can you then eat? Carbohydrates in the form of grains metabolize to sugar and even excess protein can be converted to glucose! That doesn’t appear to leave anything to eat!

Recently, while in the cereal aisle of our nutritional center a customer asked what she could eat if she had to eliminate sugar. As I looked down the aisle of processed and even whole grain cereals, it occurred to me that even here, in the place people think of as healthy, there was an abundance of offerings that I don’t consider food!

Dr. Perlmutter says that, Our “health, on a global scale, has suffered profoundly as a consequence of commercially influenced dietary recommendations.2” Our society has become so commercially driven! It is the status quo that needs to change! Or, maybe, we just need to understand that the “food” items that are the most processed are typically the ones sold to us for profit and the foods closest to how they were created may be part of a healing plan. The other recent epiphany for me about diet is found in the Human Biology text – our bodies can produce energy from glucose as well as fat. It typically doesn’t resort to fat, however until the carbohydrates are sufficiently restricted. The same diet that retrains the body to burn fat instead of glucose is the same diet that many are now using for reversing cancer (as well as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s Disease!) Bottom line, for preventing cancer the number one strategy is to eliminate sugars, grains and starchy carbohydrates. (Maybe I shouldn’t have started with this one – I know it is difficult – stay tuned and I will share ways to replace sugars that you choose to replace with something satisfying and healthier! 🙂 )

2.) *LACK OF ANTIOXIDANTS / *LACK OF FIBER FOUND IN FRESH, ORGANIC FOODS

The American Institute for Cancer Research has come out with two, very thoroughly researched documents that cover twenty years of research each to come up with conclusions that basically say that there are ten causes of cancer – nine of them are within our control. Another study used their recommendations and found that the people who followed at least five of their ten recommendations had 67% less chance of developing cancer3!

There are literally thousands of peer-reviewed research studies that have shown that the people who consume the most fresh fruits and vegetables – great sources of antioxidants as well as fiber – are the ones less likely to develop cancers. Organic fruits and vegetable have been shown in a review of 343 studies to have more antioxidants and more “other chemicals”. Later in the research, the scientists admitted that the “other chemicals” found in organic produce was really more vitamins and minerals1 Genes are the one thing that they say we are not in control of, but much current research flies in the face of this statement! Many genes with a predisposition to cancer can be turned off by a proper diet and environment. Suggestion number two is make sure you are consuming large quantities of antioxidants – preferably from colorful, organic food sources.

3. *ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS / *IMPAIRED LIVER FUNCTION

It has amazed me over the years to see how many challenges can be helped by clearing the liver to allow it to better do its job of detoxification in the body. The liver’s function and our ability to handle the toxins – and even excess estrogens that we are exposed to are so interrelated, that I will cover both together in this paragraph.

The largest contributor to cancer as far as environmental toxins, would likely be a toxin some knowingly choose to put into their bodies. Smoking impairs the flexibility of the arioles in the lungs, over time impairing their function greatly. Second-hand smoke can also cause cancer and impact non-smokers. The other reason the lungs have a third of the cancer deaths locked down is that the first location a cancer tends to metastasize to is the lungs.

The liver requires antioxidants (see cause #2) to complete the P450 or first phase of liver detoxification. Without antioxidants the liver cannot complete its work and 7-estradiol and other cancer-causing compounds may accumulate to cause future damage. Avoiding toxins can help – at least the ones you are aware of!

Our society is replete with estrogens from plastics, chemicals in our skin care and cosmetics; toxins in the smoggy air that we breathe; added chlorine and fluoride in the water we drink; BPA and other chemicals in the plastics we tend to drink out of; chemicals in our new carpet or paint; hidden molds in the walls of our homes; the high wires’ electrical fields now so close to our homes; or the cell phones we hold so close to our heads are all said to be potential sources for environmental toxins that our bodies have to find a way to eliminate. The liver’s job is to detoxify these chemicals – usually by making them more water soluble to keep them moving out of the body all-the-while less bioavailable so that they are not reabsorbed into our tissues.

The process of liver detoxification requires antioxidants, but sometimes we are exposed to things that add more work to the liver and make its job more difficult. As an example, a molecule of cholesterol has an –OH group on the first and 25th carbon (thus the name 1,25, dehidroxycholecalciferol, that is the blood chemical tested for to determine vitamin D status.) Pharmaceutical estrogen and progesterone manufactured from horse urine are said to be linked to higher cancer rates. Estrogen is a very similar compound to cholecalciferol. The drug form adds an –OH group that the liver then has to figure out how to clear. Such hormones can accumulate if the liver does not have the extra antioxidants to get them past the first stage of liver detoxification. The sad truth is that when the liver unable to clear –OH groups that collect, they may accumulate and à 17-estradiol à cancer. The solution? First of all, in my opinion the hormones implicated in cancer are the man-made ones. Women with higher levels of naturally occurring estrogens as they age are shown to have higher bone density and less cancer incidence.

Clearing the accumulation of environmental toxins by including more antioxidants to allow the liver to get past the first phase of liver detoxification (from the P-450 cycle) to the second phase of liver detoxification and sufficient fiber to help clear those toxins out can be important adjuncts to the prevention and even reversal of cancer. Another critical help to liver function, besides antioxidants, may be herbs such as milk thistle to protect the liver combined with dandelion, artichoke, a short – two-month – cleanse with phyllanthus or even the combination “Essiac”.

4. *ALKALINIZING THE BODY

Our bodies, when in a healthy state, are just a little on the alkaline side. Too much acidity provides an environment that cancer can thrive in. Fruits and veggies help to keep us on the alkaline side and so can minerals.

5. *EMOTIONS / *SPIRITUAL STABILITY AND PRAYER LIFE

A peaceful emotional state may also prevent a cell’s genetic predisposition to manifest itself as cancerous. I believe that so much benefit is found in reaching out for your creator, investing time in His book and staying filled with the right spirit. Sounds so simple, but as in everything it is the execution of all of the above into a lifestyle you can enjoy and live with is key

In the forward to Dr. Mercola’s forthcoming book, Fat For Fuel, Thomas Seyfried, PhD and author of Cancer as a Metabolic Disease and professor of biology at Boston College says, “I truly believe that the concept of Mitochondrial Metabolic Therapy [MMT] will have a significant impact on health. As I mentioned in my book, cancer is not likely to occur in people with healthy mitochondria. Dr. Mercola has expanded this concept to a broad range of chronic diseases that involve mitochondrial dysfunction. He provides a clear rationale as well as guidelines for implementation of MMT. This book should be read by anyone interested in maintaining their health without toxic pharmaceuticals.”

6. EXERCISE

No discussion of the causes of cancer and the ways to prevent it would be complete without bringing up exercise and the importance of oxygenation and, moving the body – rebounders being especially critical for lymphatic health – aerobic exercise critical for the oxygen and large muscle exercises for the strengthening of bones and teeth. The bottom line is that so often, changes in lifestyle – that are within our control – can prevent cancer.

The accumulation of athersclerotic plaque in the arteries is said to be a primary contributor to the heart attack. Page 111 of Human Biology also states that “a hypertensive person is six times more likely to have a heart attack than an individual with normal blood pressure.” The article on Lowering your Cholesterol states that the damage caused by high blood pressure – is the main culprit in damage to the arteries. The article also claims that of the 40 risk factors there are three “primary contributors to cardiovascular disease: elevated blood cholesterol, smoking and high blood pressure.1”

I hope to show that these are not the primary contributors to arterial damage, but research shows they are really secondary symptoms of the real causes of the accumulation of arterial plaque! Dr Rath and Dr Linus Pauling have done extensive research on how plaque accumulates – and even how it is reversed! As the heart pumps blood and the arteries expand to 50% their original size (this may be where HBP is a contributor, but more on that later!) they require collagen to repair the arterial cracks. Vitamin C, l-proline and l-lysine are what the body requires to manufacture collagen. A lack of any one of these ingredients may cause a problem, but since lysine is abundant in vegetables and proline in meats, vitamin C is thought to be the limiting factor in most cases. Much of the research of these doctors focuses on vitamin C and lysine2.

REDUCING ARTERIAL PLAQUE

I have actually met a gentleman scheduled for a coronary multiple-bypass surgery who used Dr. Rath’s protocol and needed no surgical intervention after two months as his arteries had cleared that much! Other antioxidants, such as serropeptase, a proteolytic enzyme from a silkworm, have been shown to reduce arterial plaque3.

INSULIN AS A CONTRIBUTOR

The importance of antioxidants and the prevention of arterial plaque accumulation being said, today I found another possible culprit that may need to be figured in. According to Dr. Rosedale, the increased levels of insulin brought on by our typically high-sugar, high-carb diets are what he claims to be the biggest factor. “If you drip insulin into the femoral artery of a dog, there was a Dr. Cruz [no relation!] who did this in the early 70s by accident; the artery will become almost totally occluded with plaque after about three months.” Dr. Rosedale goes on to say that this has been tested repeatedly with animals and, although we do not know why, something about insulin causes endothelial proliferation, blood clots by increasing platelet aggregation and, “Hyperinsulinemia causes the excretion of magnesium in the urine.3” What is the typical drug turned to to reduce HBP? One is a calcium channel blocker, of which – magnesium, as calcium’s opposite – may be the best without side effects! Interesting to see another factor – the loss of magnesium – contribute to the HBP that is well within our control by keeping insulin levels in check, which may also prevent arterial plaque accumulation… we have so much to learn!

CONCLUSION & HEALTH HACKS

We may not have a perfect understanding of all the factors yet, but we have seen that antioxidant status kept high seems to be able to prevent or slow the bad cycle of the arterial damage or roughness that allows plaque to accumulate on the inside of arterial walls. It is at the point of damage to the arterial walls that the plaque accumulates. Antioxidant status, or lack thereof, high blood pressure (possibly what began as a factor of low magnesium (from low soil content – or more likely a lack of consumption of the leafy greens that may be our best source), and/or hyperinsulinemia may all contribute to the arterial damage that forces plaque accumulation – and may lead to the blockage that increases arterial pressure and then forces a heart attack. The extra pressure that HBP may need to place on the arteries to move the blood through may certainly contribute to weakness and the accumulation of the body’s repair materials in the arteries which can lead to blockage/smaller passages and then starting the vicious cycle again with more pressure required to push the blood through, more damage and more filling with repair materials.

As you can see, HBP is certainly involved in the etiology of heart attacks, but I would not call it a cause so much as one of the symptoms of an underlying condition that needs to be addressed to prevent a heart attack. Covering our bases by including Vitamin C, magnesium, and possibly lysine and proline or collagen/bone broth in our diet may be #HealthHacks that make a lot of sense!

Auto immune disease occurs when a body does not recognize self and non-self. The process of the body identifying what is non-self occurs by B (matured in the bone marrow) cells. Activated B-cells transform into plasma cells that release antibodies into the blood. Antibodies are proteins that circulate throughout the bloodstream and then bind themselves to what they identify as foreign – covering them, coating them and neutralizing them or marking them for destruction by macrophages (connective tissue monocytes1.) When the immune system’s target organ is the thyroid, it is called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (HT).

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS & STRESS

There is increasing belief that, just like CVD and other ailments, there is not one cause. The varying factors involved in HT may include environmental toxins (such as fluoride, radiation, pesticides), intestinal parasites (yersinia enterocolitica), viruses like parvovirus B19, (hepatitis C, EBV and HTLV-12 are thought to possibly be implicated in this as well), or even stress alone may be powerful enough to cause such an immune dysfunction.

HELPING THE LIVER TO FUNCTION:
The liver is the organ that clears excess hormones and chemicals that we are exposed to from our body. To work properly it needs antioxidants such as from brightly colored fruits and berries and leafy greens. There are herbs that can help the liver do its job as well. #MilkThistle is a powerful liver protectant and can actually help the liver to regenerate itself! I have found milk thistle to work best when in combination with #DandelionRoot and #ArtichokeLeaf.

VITAMIN D

Vitamin D has been shown to have a critical role in helping the body make this distinction between what is self and what is enemy. Scientists do not fully agree on exactly how this is done. One review of the literature said in its results and conclusion, “Some of the authors suggested that Vitamin D3 carryout its immunosuppressive and immune modulatory action, through its actions on antigen presenting cells and activated T [cells that complete their development in the thymus] and B-cells with the help of Vitamin D receptors (VDR) present on each of these cells…by making qualitative and quantitative changes in the immune system (down-regulation of Th1 and up-regulations of Th2 cells.)3

CONCLUSION & HEALTH HACKS:

If Vitamin D is involved in the “regulation and proliferation of the Th1 and Th17 lymphocyte”3 and we don’t understand exactly how it does this, why not make sure you have #optimalVitaminD levels in cases of immune and auto immune issues? (How to optimize Vitamin D levels and what level is optimal will be in an upcoming newsletter. Sign up on the side to keep informed!)This is certainly not the only answer to the immune dysfunction of HT and other autoimmune issues, but any practical step we can take to address the causes may well be worth it. #Reducing exposure to radiation, #HelpingtheLiverDetox and #ReducingStress; finding ways to help yourself #Relax as anxiety and depression are known to have deleterious effects on immune balance”4 and finding restoring activities such as #exercise and #SlowStretching may be factors that contribute to a more normally functioning immune system.

A great resource for more information on helping reduce your symptoms of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis – or really a great start for anyone with immune issues can be found in Isabella Wentz’ Book, Hashimoto’s Protocol:

I love how she starts with a Liver Protocol or ways to help your liver get rid of toxins more efficiently! This is another topic I will link to this page as I have seen results by addressing the liver first as well. There are many ways of doing this, but clearing the liver has really made a difference for me in my blood sugar issues. Of course, it wasn’t the only change I made, but I do believe getting the liver to function properly is foundational to getting your body to work right.

Start with the above book or click on the home page for personal help or to #FindYourHealthHack!
Questions? email me at Cynthia@SoCalGardenHealth.com

Yes, it is well into summer, but for months now I have been enjoying sun-warmed, Orange Cherry Tomatoes as a snack while I garden. This has become one of my favorite tomato plants – not only yummy, it is super-prolific! It keeps up with my garden munching habit and I still have baskets left over to sweeten the bitter of Kale or the bite of Trader Joe’s Cilantro Dressing ~ an indoor favorite salad of our whole family Kale & Orange Tomato Salad with Cilantro Dressing. Even our teenage son’s baseball team buddies ate it all up!

Today is March 29th. In Southern California we have Tomato plants that survived the winter, fully mature Cabbage, Chives, Cilantro plants and Brussels Sprouts Kept small by a wild bunny. In a quandary about what to make for a quick, healthful lunch for our children and I, I threw this together and it was a big hit! Enjoy!

1/2 C. Mini Brussels Sprouts (about a handful)

1/2 C. Rapini

2 Tomatoes, chopped

2 Chives, chopped

Clove Garlic, pressed

2 Red Jalapenos, roasted, peeled, with seeds removed

2 Tbsp Butter

Soy Sauce

Brown Rice, cooked

Hamburger or Chicken, chopped small (leftover from last night’s dinner @ 1/2lb

I ran into a dear friend of mine at Trader Joe’s today. We hadn’t seen each other in a year and had so much to catch up on! Her daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in January. The doctor immediately put her on four insulin shots per day in an effort to control her high blood sugar. No diet suggestions were given ~ the party for families with diabetes served Diet Coke and Pizza!

The Mom stayed up late nights on a massive search for truth to help her daughter overcome this diagnosis. Two months later, the MD downloaded the results from her daughter’s Blood Sugar Monitor and was amazed at the results! The new diet she had put their whole family on had reduced her daughter’s need for insulin from four shots per day to only one!!

Did the Doctor ask what she had done to have such a tremendous difference in her health in such a short time? NO!! He just told her to, “Keep cooking what you are cooking!”

Another dear friend was diagnosed with Cancer recently. She was recommended to a surgeon who recommended that her ovaries be immediately removed to control the high estrogen levels that might be contributing to the cancer. When she asked him about the side effects and how it would affect the way she would live afterwards he said, “Don’t worry about it, just get it taken care of right away!”

I have to believe that these Doctors are not malicious ~ they are taught not to inquire about what works. Then they honestly don’t know that there is another way…